This Pav Bhaji recipe is a classic vegetarian meal that you will find being served at any laadi (street vendor) in India when the streets come alive with people bustling around in the late evening. It is a favorite meal for the people of India, and it is equally a go-to meal for our family here in the US. I love this Pav Bhaji recipe especially since it is a quick one-pot vegetarian meal for busy weeknights and it packs a powerful, nutritious punch!
Pav Bhaji is a vegetarian meal that consists of “bhaji” (a mixture of vegetables including potatoes, eggplant and/or zucchini, peas, onions, etc.) seasoned with flavorful Indian spices like red chili powder (laal marchu), turmeric (hardar) and paprika. The vegetables are steamed to retain their nutritional value. Although there are a few methods for making Pav Bhaji, this recipe will describe the Instant Pot method. You can also cook Pav Bhaji in a pressure cooker or steamer. See notes at the bottom of the recipe for distinctions.
In the Instant Pot, I use the ‘Saute’ mode to first temper avocado oil. While that may sound fancy, tempering the oil simply means heating the oil and infusing it with whole spices like cinnamon, bay leaves, and cloves. I then saute onions, garlic, tomatoes, and ginger and add some water at this point so that the ingredients don’t stick to the bottom of the pot, because trust me, I’ve burnt the bottom of the pot many times before!
I add salt and the rest of my spices and mix well. To me, this is the critical point of the development of flavors. Although I would be tempted to throw in my chopped veggies right now, I can hear my mom’s voice in my head telling me that allowing the spices to cook for about 3-5 minutes (stirring occasionally) is critical to allow the flavors of the spices to really build.
After about 3-5 minutes of patience and occasional stirring, I add my coarsely chopped veggies such as cauliflower, potatoes, eggplant, and mixed vegetables. I then add some additional water to get the consistency I need. I cancel ‘Saute’ mode on the Instant Pot and switch to ‘Steam’ mode and set the timer to 12 minutes. Once the Instant Pot has completed the ‘Steam’ cycle, it will beep. You can carefully open the lid once the Instant Pot has cooled. I use either a potato masher or a handheld immersion blender to mash all the cooked veggies to get the consistency shown in the picture. You will have to mix well to incorporate the veggies with the spiced gravy.
I typically serve Pav Bhaji on “pav” (toasted bread). You can always use vegan butter to make this a completely vegan meal. It is one of the most healthy Indian dishes, packed with nutrition from the hodgepodge of vegetables. There’s not one bit of guilt in serving this to my family! My kids love spooning the Pav Bhaji right onto their toasted bread and eating it like a sloppy joe. For the more carb-conscious in our family like myself, my husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, we enjoy eating Pav Bhaji served as a lettuce wrap on romaine lettuce or butter lettuce. We like to top it with a squirt of lemon juice, diced onions, and cilantro. For an added boost of protein to our meal, I love to make this Vegan Lebanese Fasolia (Kidney Bean Stew) by Plant Based Folk to serve with my Pav Bhaji!
Instant Pot Pav Bhaji
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- KitchenAid Handheld Immersion Blender
Ingredients
Gravy
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 whole dry chili peppers
- 2 whole bay leaves
- ½ cinammon sticks, broken into big pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ - 1 tsp red chili powder (optional for spicy heat)
- ½ tsp turmeric (hardar)
- 2 tsp pav bhaji spice pack
- ¼ tsp garam masala (optional for spicy heat)
- 2 cups water (adjust to desired consistency)
Vegetables
- 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium eggplant, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium potatoes, coarsely cubed
- 2 cups frozen vegetables
Instructions
- Press "Saute" mode on Instant Pot
- Heat avocado oil and whole spices.
- Add onions and tomatoes and saute until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic, ginger, crushed tomatoes, salt, paprika, red chili powder, turmeric, pav bhaji spice pack, garam masalo. Add 1 cup water. Mix well. Let gravy cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent gravy from burning.
- Add all the vegetables and mix well with gravy.
- Add the remaining water and mix well. Water level should be about 3/4 to the top of the veggies, so adjust as necessary.
- Close lid of Instant Pot and press 'Cancel' and then press "Steam" and adjust time to 12 minutes. Set valve to 'Sealing' mode.
- Once the Instant Pot completes the cycle, it will beep. Either switch the valve to 'Venting' position (be careful as steam will come out of the top of the IP), or allow the Instant ot to manually vent. Carefully open the lid once it is safe to do so.
- Using a potato masher or handheld immersion blender, mash all the cooked veggies and mix well to incorporate with the gravy.
- Serve with buttered and toasted bread. For a low carb option, you can serve on romaine or butter lettuce. Garnish with chopped cilantro, lemon and finely chopped onions.
Notes
- If using a pressure cooker, follow the exact directions above, only in a pressure cooker. When sauteing, use low to med heat to prevent gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker.
- Alternatively, if you do not have access to an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, make the gravy in a large pot. Pre-steam/pre-boil all the veggies. Once the gravy is cooked and pre-boiled/pre-steamed veggies are added, mix well and mash up with a potato masher.
SHOP THIS RECIPE!
Click on the links below to purchase the items used in this recipe. (Note: I may make a small commission if you purchase a product through one of these links at no additional cost to you. See full affiliate link disclosure.)
Instant Pot
Authentic Indian Spice Container
KitchenAid Handheld Immersion Blender
Pav Bhaji Masala Pack
As always, I would love to hear your feedback or questions about this recipe. Comment below!
I love seeing pictures of my recipes in action! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram {@awarriorinthekitchen} or Facebook {Warrior In The Kitchen}.
For more clean, healthy vegan and vegetarian meal ideas, check out my recipe for Instant Pot Chevti (Trevti) Dal which uses a mix of three different types of lentils.
Add MacroNutrients To MyFitnessPal
To add this Instant Pot Pav Bhaji recipe to your MyFitnessPal Food Diary, follow these 4 simple steps:
- Select and copy Warrior In The Kitchen Instant Pot Pav Bhaji
- Click on the MFP logo below and login to access your Food Diary.
- Click on Add Food under the meal heading you wish to add your food.
- Paste ‘Warrior In The Kitchen Instant Pot Pav Bhaji’ into the Food Database Search bar to access the nutrition info and add to your Food Diary.
Leave a Reply